Zzzz.
Predictably, going back to the day job has worn me out big-time. Even just two five-hour days last week — and I really did not recover by Wednesday this week, when I went back for what will be three five-hour days.
Well, everyone who knows about this stuff (doctors, nurses, other cancer survivors) all say that this is not at all surprising after radiation, and I really ought to expect to stay this tired for, oh, the next month or so…
But damn! I’m really tired of being tired! I’ve got stuff to do!
I’m writing at least a little most days, but progress is incremental at best, and occasionally those increments are actually negative, as I identify and then delete crap that has no reason to be in the story. Well.  Removal of crap counts as progress to me. The story will be better for it.
I’m also managing to keep walking everyday because, hell, it doesn’t take much mental acuity to put one foot in front of the other. It’s something I can do no matter how otherwise useless I feel.  So, if all else fails, at least I’ve walked.
One thing about walking around the condo complex every night: the native life.  I have met every dog and dog-owner, seen every cat in every window, passed all the smokers sitting on the front steps, and observed many, many toads.  The toads like the heat that lingers on the sidewalk.   I counted more than a dozen on one walk.
Cutest happy puppy ever.
Truly beautiful cat, to whom I am a continual astonishment
Ranging from jellybean-sized to english-muffin-sized
I’ll do a more coherent blog post over the weekend… I just didn’t want to stay away too long!
September 12th, 2014 at 2:38 am
I worked with someone who used this definition for “progress”: a reduction in the amount of work left to be done.
It is a very useful perspective. From this viewpoint, crap removal is obvious progress. It was work to be done and now it has been done.
September 12th, 2014 at 2:41 am
Would you stop beating yourself up for not being 100% better 2 minutes after beating cancer. Listen to your body. If it’s sleepy – sleep (unless you are driving , of course).
September 13th, 2014 at 10:42 am
Hello!
Two weeks ago I was admitted into the hospital for a week with a really nasty infection caused by a kidney stone gone bad. I wasn’t up to anything the first two or three days (they did emergency surgery and it’s a little hard to concentrate when you are running a fever of 102 degrees, I must say) but the rest of the time I was laying in bed, hooked up to IVs full of all kinds of good drugs, bored out of my skull. My wife brought me my Kindle to keep me occupied. I had downloaded the Steerswoman books a few months ago on the rec of a good friend; I hadn’t gotten to them yet but I eagerly dove in.
I just finished the last one and immediately came to find you to tell you how much I loved the books.
I’m terribly sorry to read here on your blog about the cancer; I’m very glad indeed to read that it is in remission and you are coming out the other side.
Thank you thank you thank you for Rowan, and for Bel, and for everyone else. Thank you for hidden technology and amazing world building and matriarchal lineages and especially thank you for women who live to ask and answer questions. I suspect I have more than a little Steerswoman in me myself. 😉
But mostly I’d like to thank you for keeping me company while I was miserable in a lonely hospital room. It was good to make some new friends there, and you and your books made the situation bearable for me. I am so very grateful.
I hope your own journey towards better health continues positively. I am looking forward to the next books whenever they fly out into the world!
p.s. Archipelacon in June of 2015. Located on Ã…land Island between Finland and Sweden. I’ll be there! 🙂
September 15th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Sabrina —
What a lovely thing to say to me!
I’m glad your kidney stone adventure is over, and turned out well — I’ve had a few encounters with kidney stones myself, but they never went bad on me. A “good” kidney stone is bad enough!
And thanks for your very encouraging words… in my own slog toward regaining my full strength, it really does help to know that people are out there reading and enjoying what I do.
September 13th, 2014 at 11:39 am
I’m with Sandi. Major major body stuff’s been happening and it’ll take major major time to recover. I’ve always heard that it takes at least a year after major surgery, say, to be right again. The mind is a monkey — jump jitter hop chitter bang pow — so you need to keep it distracted while the body repairs itself. Is there any of your Day Job you can do remotely? If not, just plod along and listen to your body; its working as fast as it can. And we want both your body and your mind here for a long time to come.
September 13th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
I’ve seen that dog! I think his name is Jameson. I call him Happy McSquirmison. That puppy is seriously cute.
September 13th, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Sabrina, I like your name. Your comment made me get a bit emotional, though. It reminded me that I’m doubly thankful – for great books and to have the writer as my sister!
September 14th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
This will do. Beautifully.